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Lions Look To Stop Kingsbury's Air Raid Offense

Ever since Arizona hired Kliff Kingsbury, there has been endless speculation about whether his version of the Air Raid offense would work against NFL defenses.

Los Angeles Chargers v Arizona Cardinals
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 08: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals watches from the sidelines during the NFL preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers at State Farm Stadium on August 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 17-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The 40-year-old coach is eager to show it off — and maybe even learn a little more about it himself — when the Cardinals host the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

"There's only one way to find out," Kingsbury said. "It's never been used. Nobody really knows what we're going to do or what it's going to look like, so we'll just take it one game at a time."

Los Angeles Chargers v Arizona Cardinals
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 08: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals walk off the field during the NFL preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers at State Farm Stadium on August 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 17-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Arizona, which finished a dismal 3-13 last season, rebuilt around No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray , who will get his first start at quarterback. He'll be surrounded by intriguing playmakers such as running back David Johnson and receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk.

Kingsbury says that concepts and certain portions of the Air Raid have already been introduced to the NFL, but he's ready to give it a unique spin. Even so, he doesn't think anything the Cardinals do will be particularly foreign to the Lions and second-year coach Matt Patricia.

Arizona Cardinals v Minnesota Vikings
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 24: Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury on the field before the preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

"They have all summer to tweak and change and we've had the same," Kingsbury said. "I think that's been overblown a little bit, but it's all kind of part of the gamesmanship."

The 44-year-old Patricia led Detroit to a 6-10 record last season and is known for his defensive acumen. When asked to describe preparing for Murray, he acknowledged it was challenging.

Buffalo Bills v Detroit Lions
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 23: Head coach Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions calls out a play from an elevated bench during an NFL Pre-season game against the Buffalo Bills at Ford Field on August 23, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

"Interesting would be a good term," Patricia said. "I would say 'difficult' would probably be the better term. He's obviously a dynamic athlete, very strong arm, really just does a great job at making quick reads."

Even though the Lions had a mediocre record last year, they were solid on defense, ranking 10th overall and eighth against the pass. They also have one of the league's elite cornerbacks in Darius Slay.

Now they get their shot at stopping a rookie quarterback in his first game. If the Lions are confident they can stop Murray, they're not overplaying their hand.

Arizona Cardinals v Denver Broncos
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 29: Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals looks on before a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on August 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

"The guy is the truth. He's a complete package," Lions defensive back Quandre Diggs said. "If he was 6-5, y'all would be talking about he's the best quarterback prospect ever. He's been a superstar since high school. His arm is tremendous."

Here are a few more things to watch when the Cardinals hosts the Lions:

DETROIT DEBUT

The Lions' new-look offense will make its debut with first-year coordinator Darrell Bevell.

New England Patriots v Detroit Lions
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 8: Detroit Lions Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell looks over the play book during the third quarter of the preseason game against the New England Patriots at Ford Field on August 8, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. New England defeated Detroit 31-3. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

"He's trying to get to know our players and myself as much as he can. I'm trying to get to know him and his system as best I can and trying to make that thing gel as quickly as possible," quarterback Matthew Stafford said, entering his 11th NFL season. "It's always a work in progress, whether it's Year One, Day One, or Year 10."

Bevell, a former Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator, is expected to transform the Lions from being a pass-happy team to one that aims to strike a balance.

Detroit Lions v Miami Dolphins
MIAMI, FL - OCTOBER 21: Kerryon Johnson #33 of the Detroit Lions runs with the ball against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium on October 21, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

"He likes to run the ball. I play running back," Kerryon Johnson said with a grin. "That should mean good things."

FLIP THE SWITCH

Arizona's offense was very vanilla during the preseason. Kingsbury said that was by design because he didn't want to give away any of the team's new scheme.

He doesn't expect the transition to the regular season to be a problem against the Lions.

Los Angeles Chargers v Arizona Cardinals
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - AUGUST 08: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals watches from the sidelines during the NFL preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers at State Farm Stadium on August 08, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Chargers 17-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

"That's what everybody in the league is doing — nobody shows too much," Kingsbury said. "We may have been a little extreme being that it's our first year. But you just rep it in practice and make it as game-like as possible."

LIMPING LIONS

Detroit linebacker Jarrad Davis was in uniform Wednesday, but didn't practice with teammates nearly two weeks after being carted off the field with an injured right leg. Lions center Frank Ragnow hurt his right knee in the same preseason game, but he appears healthy enough to play in the opener. Detroit's defensive tackles are perhaps the strength of the team, though depth at the position may be depleted a bit due to Da'Shawn Hand's elbow injury.

New York Giants v Detroit Lions
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 17: Jarrad Davis #40 of the Detroit Lions eyes the ball during a first half play while playing the New York Giants during a pre season game at Ford Field on August 17, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

OLD BUT GOLD

Arizona has two of the most experienced players in the league with Fitzgerald and linebacker Terrell Suggs. Fitzgerald, who is in his 16th season, recently turned 36. Suggs is in his 17th season and will turn 37 this fall.

Both are starters on the depth chart and expected to make big contributions. Fitzgerald has been with the Cardinals his whole career, while Suggs comes to Arizona after spending his first 16 years with Baltimore.

STOP THE RUN

Arizona's run defense should be tested in the first game by a Detroit offense that's expected to be more focused on gaining years on the ground.

The Cardinals were last in the league in rushing defense last season. There are three rookies in the defensive line rotation, according to the depth chart. Third-round pick Zach Allen is listed as a starting defensive end, while seventh-rounder Michael Dogbe is a backup defensive end and free agent signee Miles Brown is a backup nose tackle.

© 2019 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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